Thanks for your thoughts on bindweed - a little depressing for sure because
whatever I do there is an endless supply next door.

About the rugosa roses. All the canes are dead. There is no new growth on
the canes. However, there is growth at the base of the plant. I was
prepared to prune but was reading on rugosas last night and learned that you
shouldn't have to prune rugosas. I wonder if the farmer might have sprayed
something that has killed the tops of the plant and trying to keep them
going in that location is a losing proposition. It was also a severe winter
here in southern Ontario (zone 5) but my understanding is that these should
be very hardy. Any ideas?

Jane